Come hither, saith our blessed Lord

I. Come hither! saith our blessed Lord:
Come all to me with one Accord,
Ye heavy laden Creatures
Come hither, all ye weary Souls;
I'll give you Rest from all your Toils;
And mould anew your Natures.

II. My Yoke is sweet, my Burthen light;
Who'll take it up shall 'scape the Weight
Of lasting condemnation;
I will assist him with my Strength,
To conquer Sin, and gain at Length
The Prize of his Salvation.

III. My active and my passive Zeal
Was to perform my Father's Will,
And set a bright Example,
To guide your Thoughts and Actions by;
If this is fix'd before your Eye,
Your Heart shall be my Temple.

IV. The world whould chuse the Bliss I shew,
Was it not charg'd to bid Adieu
To its own will and Pleasure:
Alas! there is no other Path
But a true meed and humble Faith
That leads to endless Treasure.

V. What Creature on this Earthly Ball
Was ever found, since ADAM'S Fall,
Without its rueful Story.
Who'll here not bear for JESUS' Sake,
Hereafter endless Shame shall take,
And strip of all his Glory.

VI. To Day the man looks bright and gay;
Anon falls sick and faints away;
Or Death cuts short his Flower.
Just as a Lilly blooms and dies,
So quick away the World still flies
With all its Fame and Power.

VII. The Worldling dreads the Name of Death;
And startled by a dying Breath
He makes a quick Submission.
He tires himself with Trifles here,
Th'immortal Soul's his meanest Care,
Whilst in a hail Condition.

VIII. But when he feels, he cannot live,
He fancies, that a Lord forgive
Will purchase his Salvation:
But, ah! the long rejected Grace
May no more shine upon his Face,
May no more have Compassion.

IX. What doth the Miser's Store avail?
Or what the Young Man's Strength? Both fail,
When Death's to give the Trial:
Hast thou at Hand the richest Store,
All Earthly Wit, all earthly Pow'r,
Death would take no Denial.

X. No Respite Learning can obtain;
All worldly Grandeur is in vain,
To thwart the fatal Sentence:
Who will not seek his Saviour's Face
In the bright Days of offer'd Grace,
Must die without Repentance.

XI. But ye, dear Foll'wers of the Lamb,
That suffer here in JESUS Name,
Your Cross shall end in Glory:
Keep close to God's revealed Will,
And still keep up a Christian Zeal,
To flight what's transitory.

XII. Return ye Good for evil Deeds;
Your Innocence at last succeeds,
In Spite of Worldly Crosses:
Give God the Vengeance of your Cause;
Observe your Saviour's Gospel-Laws,
He will retrieve your Losses.

XIII. Were you to live in constant Ease,
And live as long as you should please,
Your Faith wou'd soon be wasting;
But Crosses keep, like wholesome Salt,
The Flesh from Falling and Revolt,
And Ruin everlasting.

XIV. Think not the Cross a bitter Pill;
Reflect what Reprobates must feel
In their despairing Station,
Where Soul and Body must endure
Pains past Expression and past Cure,
Without the least Cessation.

XV. But you, that make a better Choice,
Shall share your great Redeemer's Joys
When this your Warfare's over;
No Mortal Tongue can e'er express,
With what Rewards the God of Grace
Will crown his faithful Lover.

XVI. And what our great and gracious Lord
Has promis'd in his holy Word,
And seal'd with his own Spirit,
He will perform and safely bring
Our Souls where Saints and Angels sing
Of his eternal Merit.

Source: Psalmodia Germanica: or, The German Psalmody: translated from the high Dutch together with their proper tunes and thorough bass (2nd ed., corr. and enl.) #121

• MIDI file from Psalmodia Germanica: or, The German Psalmody: translated from the high Dutch together with their proper tunes and thorough bass (2nd ed., corr. and enl.) #121